Types commonly associated with genital warts rather than cancer.
Back to the glossarySexual health
Human papillomavirus
A large group of viruses spread mainly through close skin-to-skin sexual contact. Some types cause warts and some high-risk types are linked to cancers.
Sexual health
In brief
A common virus with many types and usually no symptoms.
HPV is very common and usually clears without causing problems. It can persist silently for years, so a diagnosis does not reveal when or from whom it was acquired. Vaccination and cervical screening prevent different parts of HPV-related harm; neither is a test of morality or fidelity.
Types that can cause cell changes linked to cervical and several other cancers.
Prevention against important vaccine-covered types; it does not treat an existing infection.
A programme that tests eligible people for high-risk HPV and assesses relevant cell changes.
Transmission and natural history
HPV can spread through close genital skin contact and sexual activity, including without penetrative sex. Condoms reduce some contact but do not cover all skin that may transmit HPV.
Most infections cause no problems and clear naturally, often within two years. Persistent high-risk infection is the important cancer-related concern.
Warts and cancer are different outcomes
Types that commonly cause genital warts are generally different from those most associated with cancer. Visible warts do not show which high-risk types may be present.
HPV-related cancers can involve the cervix, anus, penis, vulva, vagina and parts of the head and neck. Symptoms require appropriate assessment rather than self-diagnosis.
Testing and screening
There is no general blood test for HPV. In the UK, HPV testing is integrated into cervical screening for eligible people with a cervix.
An HPV result cannot date acquisition or establish infidelity. Continue screening according to invitations even after vaccination.
Prevention and care
Vaccination protects against important types and works best before exposure, while still benefiting some eligible adults. Clinics can advise on eligibility.
Genital warts and abnormal screening results have different pathways. Use NHS services rather than unregulated home treatments on sensitive tissue.
Non-graphic examples
What the umbrella may include
- Having HPV without symptoms.
- Continuing cervical screening after vaccination.
- Understanding that a result cannot date transmission.
- Seeking assessment for a new wart rather than identifying it from an image.
- Using vaccination and barriers as complementary prevention.
Reviewed 30 August 2026
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